The Lost Pendulum
by Wyncrer
Summary: Hazel Bennet remembers the Arc-V Incident. She remembers Zarc. She also remembers that, after four years on the pro circuit, Yuya Sakaki and Yuzu Hiragi disappeared without a trace. One year later, Hazel, having made her own investgations into their disappearance, has only found one lead in discovering the whereabouts of the last two dimensional counterparts: Reiji Akaba.
1. An Opportunity

**Chapter One – An Opportunity**

Rain fell heavily around Hazel as she ran through the construction site, boots squelching against the sodden ground as the darkness of the night surrounded her. Half-erected buildings loomed over her, casting a long shadow with each strike of lightning. The water dripped down her goggles periodically as she ran as fast as she dared, mask warming her face as her breath was caught in its grasp. Her arms felt heavy as she ran onward, but she couldn't allow herself even a moment's pause. _There has to be a way through here…_

" **Twilight Ninja Nichirin, the Chunin** , attack **Ember Soldier**!"

 _Shit._ The blast sent her flying to the side as her monster was destroyed, shaving away 1000 of her Life Points at the same time. Landing on her back, she performed a break fall and rolled onto one side, skidding to a halt with one hand planted against the ground. _Only 700 left… and I thought I had gotten away from you…_

"I activate the trap card **Ember Resurgence**!" Hazel said, revealing her face-down. "It allows me to add two **Ember** monsters, one that's face-up in my Extra Deck and one in my graveyard, to my hand. I choose to add **Ember Soldier** from my Extra Deck and **Ember Lizard** from my graveyard to my hand!"

A shadowy figure appeared above her on an uncompleted pillar. Beside them stood **Chunin** , and to either side was a blue pillar of light, each for their own Pendulum monster. In one was **Twilight Ninja Jogen** , and in the other stood **Twilight Ninja Kagen**. Although Hazel had admired the Lancers ever since the Arc-V Incident, her admiration would have to wait in the face of this threat. _Tsukikage… everything I've heard about you is true. You really are impossible to shake, aren't you?_

"I set two cards face-down," Tsukikage said. "Turn over."

 ** _Tsukikage – 3400 LP/Hand – 2/Field – Twilight Ninja Nichirin, the Chunin, two face-downs/PZ – Twilight Ninja Jogen (SC:1), Twilight Ninja Kagen (SC:10)_**

 ** _Hazel – 700 LP/Hand – 4/Field – nil_**

"My turn," Hazel said, drawing a card. _He's got me trapped. It's all or nothing now._ "From my hand, I normal summon **Ember Soldier** (Lvl:4/ATK:1300/DEF:1300)."

On her field appeared a humanoid soldier, although unlike a traditional soldier, this one looked as if it was made of charcoal, with pulsating deep-orange lines covering its body. It was a look shared by all the monsters in her deck, and one that she had grown fond of over the years.

" **Ember Soldier** 's monster effect activates," Hazel continued. "If normal or special summoned, I can add one **Ember** monster from my deck to my hand, and I choose **Ember Viper**."

"A Pendulum Summon then?" Tsukikage said. "How predictable of you, Spectre."

"Using the Scale 1 **Ember Lizard** and the Scale 8 **Ember Viper** , I set the Pendulum Scale!" Hazel declared, placing the cards on the board. "With this, I can summon monsters from Levels 2 to 7 at the same time! Pendulum Summon! Appear, dragon with eyes of the eternal blaze! **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon**! (Lvl:7/ATK:2500/DEF:2000)."

The dragon descended from between the two rays of blue light that now stood on her side of the field, with a look similar to the **Ember Soldier** that had been summoned before. A black dragon with glowing lines shining through the cracks of its outer shell, it stood over 5 metres tall and looked down upon Tsukikage with eyes of flame.

" **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon** 's monster effect activates!" Hazel announced. "I destroy **Ember Soldier** in order to special summon one **Ember** monster from my deck whose Level is equal to or less than the destroyed monster's! Appear in its stead, **Ember Eagle**! (Lvl:2/ATK:800/DEF:800)."

The soldier disappeared into her Extra Deck once more to be replaced with an eagle of similar design. However, even though it had left the field, **Ember Soldier** was not done just yet.

" **Ember Soldier** 's secondary monster effect activates!" Hazel said. "If destroyed by a card effect, I can inflict 200 damage. Take this, Tsukikage!"

"I activate the trap card **Barrier Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Extinguishing**!" Tsukikage countered, revealing it. "Since I control a **Ninja** monster, all effect damage that you deal to me that is at or below 800 is negated!"

Hazel gritted her teeth underneath her mask. "You know my deck," she noted.

"Reiji Akaba has taken a great deal of interest in you, Spectre," Tsukikage said. "He knows of the duels you had with his staff that even the public don't know about. We know that effect damage is your deck's speciality."

 _Reiji Akaba…_ "He can analyse my deck all he wants, it won't help you," Hazel said. "I activate the spell card **Ember Burst**! I destroy your **Barrier** , and after doing so, inflict 200 points of damage!"

Tsukikage weathered the damage with ease as his Life Points dropped to 3200, barely feeling it as he sent the trap to the graveyard. However, Hazel was aware that he knew what was about to come. _I wonder what his last face-down card is…_

" **Flare-Eyes** and **Eagle** share an effect, in that they gain ATK equal to any effect damage dealt to my opponent until the end of the turn," Hazel explained. "Therefore, **Flare-Eyes** and **Eagle** now have 2700 and 1000 ATK respectively!"

"That's nowhere near enough to defeat me, Spectre," Tsukikage noted.

"I'm not done," Hazel answered. "I activate the Pendulum effect of **Ember Viper**! Once per turn, I can target one monster you control and inflict damage to you equal to half the difference between its ATK and DEF. Since **Chunin** has a difference of 1300, here's another 650 damage!"

Tsukikage took the attack once more, refusing to show any signs of worriment as his Life Points fell to 2550 and the ATK of **Flare-Eyes** and **Eagle** rose to 3350 and 1650 respectively. As the rain continued to pour down, the wind began to pick up, causing Hazel's black coat to rustle as the freezing air rushed through her as if she were nothing. She shivered involuntarily, but her opponent seemed completely immune to the wind's effects. _Damn ninjas…_

"I then activate the Pendulum effect of **Ember Lizard**! Since I control an **Ember** monster in my other Pendulum Zone, I deal 200 damage and destroy this card!" Hazel said.

As Tsukikage's Life Points fell to 2350 and **Flare-Eyes** and **Eagle** grew to 3550 and 1850, Hazel knew that victory was almost within her grasp. _Just one more effect and I'll be free of this guy… he's been more relentless than anyone else so far. I suppose that's why Reiji sent him after me…_

"I activate the second effect of **Ember Eagle**!" Hazel said. "By tributing this monster, I can give its ATK points to **Flare-Eyes**! Soar, **Ember Eagle**!"

The bird screeched as it disappeared from the field, its aura flowing around **Flare-Eyes** and raising its ATK to 5400. Despite staring at 3100 damage and a loss, her opponent made no move to activate the face-down card that still lay at his feet. _I have to attack,_ Hazel reasoned with herself. _Even if that trap can stop my attack, I might be able to escape in the chaos…_

"Battle! **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon** , attack **Twilight Ninja Nichirin**!" Hazel ordered. "Blaze Reckoning!"

"I won't lose just yet!" Tsukikage declared, jumping out of the way of the breath of fire, his monster following him. "I activate the trap card **Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Toad**! By discarding one card, **Chunin** 's ATK becomes 3300 until the end of the turn!"

 _Dammit._ **Flare-Eyes** quickly redirected its attack to where Tsukikage was now standing, engulfing both him and **Chunin** in an inferno that caused the wet air to fizzle at its touch. Knowing that her opponent would still be in the duel after the attack, Hazel made a break for an exit from the site to her right. However, before she could even make it more than a few steps, lightning struck and revealed that Tsukikage was already in her path, blocking the way out. _How did he…_

"I won't be fooled that easily," Tsukikage said even as smoke from the attack continued to flow from his body.  
"I… I end my turn here," Hazel conceded. "At this moment, **Flare-Eyes** ' ATK returns to normal. Your move, Tsukikage."

"My…"

Tsukikage's left hand paused above his deck, his head flicking to the side slightly as if he was listening to something. Hazel watched in confusion as Tsukikage almost immediately stood down, his duel disk powering down and his Pendulum Zones disappearing from the field.

"What are you doing? Forfeiting?" Hazel demanded.

Tsukikage chose not to answer her question, instead leaping unto a nearby pillar, and from there he disappeared into the night without a trace. Wary that perhaps another trap had been laid for her, Hazel analysed her surroundings as best she could, but she quickly came to the conclusion that she was alone. _He had to have got an order from Reiji to disengage,_ Hazel though to herself. _I can think of no other reason why Reiji's personal ninja would just abandon his mission like that._

Hazel turned her eyes to the sky. _Just what are you planning, Reiji Akaba?_

* * *

The rain had stopped by the time Hazel had changed back into civilian clothing and headed back to her apartment. She had chosen a new location for the changeover to the time before, and had picked a different route through the winding canyons of concrete in order to make her way home. Although a voice in the back of her mind was telling her she was being over-cautious, but she also knew that it would be worth it in the event that she was indeed being tracked. By the time she had made it back to her apartment, her watch told her that it was past midnight. However, as she unlocked and opened the door, she found the light on.

"You're still awake," Hazel commented.

"I recorded some stuff for you on the television," a male voice came from around the corner in the loungeroom. "Different broadcasting station to yours. You might've missed it at work."

"Good chance. Office had me doing overtime filing," Hazel lied. "Sorry I didn't get a call, Dan."

"God, you really must be tired," Daniel replied, standing up in his pyjamas and kissing her on the forehead. "You wouldn't call me by my name like that otherwise."

Hazel held him tightly. "You shouldn't have stayed up."

"Eh, couldn't sleep without you there anyways," Daniel replied with a smirk. "Do you want a coffee or something?"

"No, no, I'll be fine," Hazel answered as she let him go. "What's this about recordings?"

"Right, right," Daniel said, heading for the television. "There was an announcement this evening from Reiji Akaba. Said something about an opportunity for budding duelists or whatnot. Thought you might be interested."

"Sure," Hazel said, sipping on some water. "What time was the announcement?"

"About 10-ish," Daniel said as he got the record ready. "Rather late for an announcement like this, but he probably had a reason for it."

 _Right after my run-in with Tsukikage._ "If it's something to do with dueling, perhaps he didn't want children involved with it."

Daniel huffed slightly. "Children defeated Zarc."

The news report began to play. "Reiji Akaba made a surprise announcement tonight, announcing the launch of a new tournament for Maiami City," said the female news anchor. "The announcement came only minutes ago from his headquarters at the LDS tower, and has already had over 50,000 views on social media and other sites."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce the new LDS Maiami Championship," said Reiji, whose face now filled the screen. "However, unlike the goal of previous tournaments which were for money, this one will provide a different, and unique opportunity. The winner of this tournament will be granted an opportunity to train with the elite amongst LDS, and in addition, they will be working personally alongside myself and other executives within LDS in order to get a better understanding of the world behind the pro circuit. Any and all duelists not on the pro circuit will be allowed to complete. If a duelist outside of the city registers for the tournament, they will be granted passage to Maiami City and paid for by LDS. This is an opportunity for duelists the world over to head straight for the pro circuit. The tournament will begin in one month, and registrations will close in two weeks. Make your decision, duelists, and choose whether or not you wish to pursue your dreams of becoming a pro duelist!"

"This is the fifth Maiami Championship now, but the first since the Lancers to be about other than money," Hazel commented.

"Wonder why he's changed it up," Daniel pondered.

 _He's trying to draw me out,_ Hazel thought to herself. _He knows that I'm trying to get information from LDS, and this would provide me with a perfect chance to get close to the higher-ups of their company… Damn he's good._ As the anchor went about dissecting Reiji's words, Hazel considered her options. She knew that no one outside of LDS, possibly no one outside of Reiji's inner circle knew about her deck, meaning that she would not be outing herself if she entered. On the other hand, it also meant revealing herself to Reiji as well, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing either. _By drawing attention to myself, it might mean I can get an audience with Reiji earlier…_

"There's more by the way," Daniel said, noticing that Hazel was no longer paying attention.

"In breaking news, the Spectre has made another appearance tonight," the reporter continued. "It's the Spectre's eighth appearance at LDS, and the motives of the vigilante are still unknown. Unlike previous encounters, the Spectre managed to get away without interference from any LDS members unlike the previous three occasions. However, no other information has been released about the vigilante, and people on social media are beginning to question whether or not LDS is hiding information about the Spectre. Reiji Akaba has made few comments about the vigilante, but is expected to hold a press conference tomorrow about the Spectre."

"You'd have thought they'd have given up by now," Daniel noted. "I've been thinking about it since it was initially shown. I can't think of why they'd keep trying."

 _I can._ "Maybe each attempt is getting them closer to their goal?" Hazel commented.

"Pfft. Doubt it," Daniel said. "LDS has some of the best security in the world. They'd change protocols after every attempt, surely."

 _They do. That's why I've made so many attempts._ "Is there anything else you wanted to show me?" Hazel asked him, yawning.

"That's all, beautiful," Daniel said with a slight smile, switching off the television. "I've got to get up at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Boss wants me in early to do checks on the machines."

"He's giving you a lot of those," Hazel commented as they headed for the bedroom.

"I think Jon's wanting to move me into a managerial position," Daniel replied. "That's been the rumour around the yard anyway."

"Really? That's awesome news babe," Hazel said enthusiastically. "Will it be a desk job?"

"Desk job," Daniel said with a nod. "And much better pay than what I'm getting now."

Hazel smirked slightly. "Always good," she said as she slipped into her pyjamas. "God I'm tired."

Daniel leaned over and kissed her forehead once more. "Goodnight babe."


	2. The Spectre

**Chapter Two – The Spectre**

Hazel's eyes refused to open as her alarm for 6:30 went off. Shuffling around the empty bed, she reached over groggily and switched the phone alarm off before letting the arm sag down from the bedside table, her body going limp. Her legs were splayed diagonally under the sheets, taking up the rest of the bed. With Daniel gone for the day, she had all the bed to herself, and it made getting out of it even harder. _Why are these damn things always so much comfier in the morning…_

After an hour of watching videos on her phone and generally being lazy, Hazel got out of bed, dressed, and was soon sipping on a cup of coffee with the television blaring in the background. She wasn't expected at the office until 11 today, with the woman she was interning for, Christine, doing their channel's coverage of the press conference that was scheduled to occur shortly. It was rather early for a press conference to be held, but Reiji was supposedly heading to Heartland later in the today to commemorate the official opening of the new You Show Duel School there. Yusho too. _It's nice to see Heartland is almost back to how it was before the war,_ Hazel thought to herself. _The scars may live on, but psychically, at least, it's almost back to its former glory._

"And now we cross live to Reiji Akaba's press conference, where he will be discussing the vigilante known as the Spectre with the media," the male reporter said. "Let's hear what he has to say."

Calm and collected as usual, Reiji took to the podium that was set out in front of the awaiting mass of media. Looking on, Hazel thought she could make out Christine in the crowd, but it was too difficult to tell from the sparing shots that were shown. Instead, she prepared herself for whatever Reiji had to say. _It'll be interesting to see what information he reveals,_ Hazel thought.

"The Spectre has been a topic of discussion amongst LDS, news agencies and social media ever since their first appearance a number of weeks ago," Reiji began, his voice and mannerisms giving away nothing. "They first came to our attention after an alarm was triggered in the main LDS building here in Maiami City, and four of our top guards were found unconscious, defeated by the Spectre. Since then, several other attempts have been made by this individual at infiltrating the building, to various success."

"Or no success," Hazel muttered to herself, now crunching down on cereal. "Never once got a hand on the databases."

"The Spectre has been confronted by our staff on a number of those occasions, but has escaped each time. LDS has been looking into tracking the individual, but has so far made no ground on identifying who the Spectre is," Reiji continued. "Additionally, the Spectre has worn carefully hidden their identity, appearing only in baggy attire and showing no identifiable features."

"I wonder if he's telling the truth or just satisfying the media," Hazel whispered.

"Since identifying the Spectre is proving to be tough, we at LDS have instead decided to focus our attention on defending the building," Reiji said. "More guardsmen and women have been hired to watch the building at night, and more security cameras have been installed throughout the building to ensure the safety of LDS' assets. We are confident that the Spectre will not be able to get past these defences, and hope that these new upgrades will dissuade any further visits."

 _He's challenging me,_ Hazel realised as she began to wash up her dishes. _He wants me to try again, daring me even._ It put her in a difficult position. She knew that Reiji was the only one who knew anything about Yuya and Yuzu's disappearance. Even the other Lancers knew nothing. Finding out what happened to them a year ago and where they went would be a once in a lifetime scoop, and she wasn't about to let that chance slip through her fingers.

"Now, are there any questions?" Reiji asked the awaiting reporters.

"Yes, Mr. Akaba!" came a male voice from the front row. He continued once he had Reiji's attention. "Mr. Akaba, a lot of people are wondering how the Spectre is able to defeat members of LDS. No information has been released yet about whether they are a duelist or not, but surely that is the case?"

"All that can be confirmed is that Duel Disks were active on the unconscious members of LDS found during the assaults," Reiji answered. "The Spectre has been smart enough not to duel within sight of our cameras, and none of the opponents they have fought have any recollection of the duels themselves."

"Liar," Hazel huffed.

"Is there any clue as to how the Spectre is doing this?" another reporter asked.

Reiji shook his head. "We do not know," he replied. "That is all the information we currently have on the Spectre and investigations are ongoing."

"Do you think the Spectre will try and infiltrate the Maiami Championship?" asked another reporter.

Reiji shook his head. "Doing so would put the individual at risk of being discovered," Reiji answered. "It would be an uncharacteristic move. Now, if there are no more questions, I am due in Heartland within two hours."

Despite the flood of questions that came his way, Reiji ignored them as his made his way to the exit, accompanied by three bodyguards. The screen flickered back to the news station, but by this point Hazel was already reaching for the remote. She had all the information she needed. _More patrols, and yet Reiji will not be returning to Maiami until tomorrow. Time to pay LDS another visit._

* * *

After finishing her work with Christine, night fell as Hazel found herself outfitted in the familiar clothing of the Spectre. Duel disk strapped reassuringly to her right arm, she ran silently through alleyways in a sporadic direction from where she had changed to ensure that no-one could trace her. The location of her gear was marked on her duel disk, and it meant that she could return to it at any time. Approaching LDS Tower from the north, she could see its gleaming walls towering high above the buildings surrounding it, watching over the city like a sentry against the blackness of the night. _A symbol of the success of the Lancers in foiling Leo Akaba's plan… and stopping Zarc._

As she began to draw closer to LDS Tower, Hazel headed for a fire escape on an apartment building close to the tower and began to climb it. Fortunately, there was no rain tonight, and the air was actually rather pleasant as she made her way to the top, calves burning slightly from the effort. After recovering the slight amount of breath that she had lost from the dozen-storey climb, she laid herself down against the roof of the building and pulled out a telescope from its pouch on her back. Extending it fully, she looked down upon the tower and began to analyse the new guard layout.

 _Where are the guards?_ Her blood began to run cold as Hazel quickly realised that there were no guards positioned at the bottom of the tower. She searched the nearby streets for guards that may have been hiding, but found nothing. Looking at the building itself, the lights were all turned off par the ones at the bottom, but there seemed to be no one in the building either. _Reiji… are you trying to get me to enter?_ If what she was seeing was true, then it meant that she would be able to enter the tower uncontested. However, all that did was give her a terrible sense of foreboding. _A trap. There's no way its anything but a trap,_ she reasoned.

It was a perfect opportunity for her to find the information she was looking for, but Hazel knew that this scenario had definitely been orchestrated by Reiji himself. _He wanted me to come tonight, and he wants me to enter the building. But…_ she shook her head in frustration. She wasn't about to entertain the idea of walking into a trap so blindly. _I've waited a year to get this information. I can wait a little bit longer._ Returning the telescope to its pouch, she began to make her way down from the roof. Although the pull to investigate the tower was strong, she wasn't about to give Reiji the satisfaction of being right once again.

Heading back through the streets of Maiami City, her thoughts began to turn to the following few days. _I can't afford to go out again soon, otherwise I'm going to start getting fatigued and Daniel might get suspicious. Hopefully I can use that to my advantage and play Reiji for time._ It was something she had done in the past, but she also didn't want Daniel to get suspicious about her being out late on the same nights as the Spectre's appearances. Fortunately, he wasn't very attentive of these things, and that was something that Hazel was, for once, grateful for.

As she reached the spot where her gear was, in between two ten-storey buildings and away from the major roads, Hazel began to take in her surroundings in case someone had followed her. Looking at the top of building and peering through nearby alleyways, she found no one, and so breathed a sigh of relief and turned back towards her gear. However, standing next to the bin where she had hidden her stuff was a male figure, one that appeared to be wearing a white suit.

"Do it now," she heard the man say.

Almost immediately, she felt something shimmer to life behind her. Turning around, Hazel saw that a metal wall had been erected behind her, along with one above them and one behind the mysterious suited figure. Lights hung from the top of the two walls, and after illuminating the alleyway, Hazel was able to get a good look at her assailant. With pale purple hair, green eyes and a piercing in his left ear, she quickly realised who he was.

"We're alone in here, Spectre," the man said. "The outside world sees only an empty alleyway, and those lights? They're doubling as cameras. Don't forget to smile."

Hazel straightened her stance. "Yu Sakuragi," she stated. "Former LDS student, member of the original Lancers, and current 6th seed of the Bronze League Dimensional Action Duel Pro Circuit. One of the only pro duelists from the Pendulum Dimension to not use Pendulum cards, if I recall correctly."

"You are well-informed," Yu replied. "Reiji asked for my help dealing with you. Shall we then?"

 _Straight to the point, I see._ "I know you're watching, Reiji!" Hazel shouted to the cameras as she readied her duel disk. "I don't know how you found me, but I won't go down without a fight!"

 ** _DUEL!_**

Hazel knew what deck Yu was playing. Although he had broken into the Silver League a number of times over the past couple of years, he had never been able to reach higher because of the cards that he played. Yu had said in multiple interviews that he would never give up on his deck despite the trend towards Pendulum-based archetypes, but that had earned him good reputation as someone who respected his cards, and it had won him favour amongst the fans. _Still, the archetype is not without good cards. If he opens with that spell…_

"I'll start things off," Yu said. "I activate the Quick-Play spell card **Spellbook of Judgment**!"

 _Shit._

"This means that, at the end of my turn, I get to add **Spellbook** spell cards from my deck to my hand up to the number of **Spellbook** spells I play this turn, and then special summon a Spellcaster-type monster whose level is less than or equal to the number of spells I play!" Yu declared. "And now, I activate **Spellbook Star Hall**! This means that every time I activate a **Spellbook** spell card, it gains a counter, and for each counter, Spellcaster-type monsters on my field gain 100 ATK!"

 _He's all set up to go off now,_ Hazel realised. _I mean, what else can you expect from a pro, even one from the Bronze League… I'm going to have to be at my best, especially with Reiji Akaba undoubtedly in his ear. I wonder how you found this location, Reiji…_

"I then normal summon **Spellbook Magician of Prophecy** (Lvl:2/ATK:500/DEF:400) and add **Spellbook of the Master** to my hand via his effect!" Yu proclaimed. "Then, I play **Spellbook of Secrets** , which allows me to add one **Spellbook** spell to my hand, and I choose **Spellbook Organisation**!"

 _He's deck-thinning,_ Hazel realised. _Most of his spells can only be activated once a turn, but by adding cards like that to his hand and playing them, he's simply fuelling_ _ **Spellbook of Judgment**_ _and that_ _ **Star Hall**_ _…_

"After **Star Hall** gains a counter, I activate **Spellbook of the Master**!" Yu continued. "I reveal **Spellbook of Power** in my hand in order to copy the effect of **Spellbook of Secrets** in my graveyard and apply it via **Master** 's effect! Therefore, I add **Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere** to my hand!"

"And Star Hall gains another counter," Hazel murmured.

"I then play **Spellbook Organisation** , allowing me to look at the top 3 cards of my deck and return them in any order," Yu said, glancing at the cards before returning them to the deck as **Star Hall** ticked over to 3 counters. "I then activate yet another spell in **Spellbook of Power** , which increases **Magician of Prophecy** ATK by 1000! And since **Star Hall** now has 4 counters, he has 1900 ATK!"

 _He could've saved it, but he will probably just add another with_ _ **Judgment**_ _,_ Hazel reasoned. _How am I going to get past this?_

"Finally, since I have 5 **Spellbook** spells in my graveyard, I can activate **Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere**!" Yu said. "Not only does **Star Hall** now have 5 counters, but **Magician of Prophecy** now has 2000 ATK! Also, **Heliosphere** lets me look at the top 2 cards of my deck, and if any are Spellbooks, add them to my hand. But since neither of them are, they are returned to my deck and shuffled."

"You played it just to add another counter to **Star Hall** and fuel **Judgment** ," Hazel noted. "You knew you wouldn't draw any Spellbooks."

"That is correct," Yu said with a slight smirk. "And now I end my turn, meaning that **Spellbook of Judgment** activates! I add the **Spellbooks of Power, Secrets, Wisdom, Fate, Eternity and the Master** from my deck to my hand!"

"A full replenishment…" Hazel muttered.

"And then, I special summon the Level 6 **Reaper of Prophecy** (ATK:2000/DEF:1600) from my deck, triggering its effects!" Yu proclaimed as the monster, clad in a black robe and wielding a huge, presumably enchanted black scythe appeared on his side of the field. "I activate all three of his effects in sequence as I have 6 **Spellbook** spells in my graveyard. Firstly, he gains 600 ATK, meaning that it combined with the bonus of **Star Hall** gives him 3100 ATK. Then, I add **Spellbook Library of the Crescent** to my hand. And finally, I can special summon a Level 5 or higher DARK Spellcaster from my deck! Appear, Level 8! **Wheel of Prophecy!** (ATK:2700/DEF:1700)."

As the humanoid lion clad in dark, roman-esque armour appeared on Yu's field bearing a shield of similar design to the armour, Hazel assessed the situation. Not only did Yu have two monsters with over 3000 ATK thanks to **Star Hall,** but he would have a full hand to use come his next turn. _I have to try and break his board on my next turn, otherwise there's just no way that I can get past him and get out of here._

"And now, my turn finally ends," Yu said. " **Magician of Prophecy's** ATK returns to 1000, while Wheel and Reaper remain at **3200** and **3100** respectively. And now, since I have 7 cards in hand, I must discard one."

"You mean **Crescent** , don't you?" Hazel asked rhetorically. "That's why you added it. Otherwise you could draw into it later on when it's already useless."

Yu smiled slightly. "You appear to know my deck pretty well, Spectre," Yu commented as he sent the card to the graveyard. "Turn over."

 ** _Yu – 4000 LP/Hand – 6/Field – Wheel of Prophecy, Reaper of Prophecy, Spellbook Magician of Prophecy, Spellbook Star Hall (5)_**

 ** _Hazel – 4000 LP/Hand – 5/Field – nil_**

 _Time to find a way out of this mess._ "My turn!" Hazel said, drawing a card. "I activate the spell card **Ember Call** , allowing me to add one Level 4 or lower **Ember** monster from my deck to my hand, and I choose **Ember Viper**! Then, using the Scale 1 **Ember Lizard** and the Scale 8 **Ember Mammoth** , I set the Pendulum Scale! This means I can summon monsters whose Level is 2 to 7 simultaneously! Pendulum Summon! Appear, **Ember Viper** (Lvl:3/ATK:1400/DEF:1000), **Ember Soldier** (Lvl:4/ATK:1300/DEF:1300), and **Ember Eagle!** (Lvl:2/ATK:800/DEF:800)."

"A triple Pendulum on the first turn? Impressive," Yu conceded.

" **Ember Mammoth's** Pendulum effect means that all **Ember** monster I control gain 200 ATK for each one present, meaning they each now have an additional 600 ATK," Hazel explained. "Additionally, if **Ember Soldier** is summoned, I can add one **Ember** monster from my deck to my hand, and I choose **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon**! I now tribute **Ember Soldier** and **Ember Eagle**! Appear, dragon with eyes of the eternal blaze! **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon!** (Lvl:7/ATK:2500/DEF:2000)."

The behemoth made its presence felt immediately. As the soldier and eagle disappeared from the field, the four-legged, two-winged black dragon appeared, eyes and veins glowing with a thick red glow. Hazel could see the Yu was eyeing the beast off with caution, indicating that he had been told of the beast's capabilities. _I suppose it only natural…_

"Due to **Mammoth's** effect, **Flare-Eyes** now has 2900 ATK, while **Viper** goes from 1400 to 1800 via the effect, then gains an additional 200 via its own since there is another **Ember** monster on the field, meaning it now has 2000 ATK!"

"That still cannot defeat my two stronger monsters, Spectre!" Yu reminded her.

" **Ember Lizard** 's Pendulum effect activates!" Hazel continued. "Since I have another **Ember** monster in my other Pendulum Zone, I can destroy and inflict 200 damage to you!"

"Is that it?" Yu asked as he brushed off the damage, his Life Points now at 3800.

"Since you took effect damage, **Flare-Eyes** gains ATK equal to the damage, giving it 3100 ATK!" Hazel said. "Battle! **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon,** attack **Spellbook Magician of Prophecy**! Blaze Reckoning!"

Yu's eyes grew wide of the huge blast of fire engulfed his monster, destroying it in a single blow and sending him flying backwards into the Real Solid Vision wall that had been erected behind him. The man was dazed, but returned to his feet his Life Points dropped to 1700 and Hazel prepared for her next attack.

" **Ember Viper** 's effect activates!" she pressed. "During either player's turn, if I inflict damage to my opponent, I can have all monster they control lose ATK and DEF equal to the damage taken until the end of the turn!"  
Yu's eyes went wide. "But that means…"

"Both of your monsters lose 2300 ATK and DEF!" Hazel finished. " **Ember Viper,** attack **Wheel of Prophecy**! Flame Constriction!"

The viper slithered toward the lion before expanding its width and ensnaring the beast within its coiled body. The lion struggled briefly against the constricting bind, but the viper's eyes flashed red and its body suddenly burst into flame along with its prey. The lion crumbled to dust as the viper turned back to its blackened, coal-like skin, and as it returned to Hazel's side, Yu's Life Points had now been reduced to a measly 800.

"I set one card face-down," Hazel declared. "Turn over."

 ** _Yu – 800 LP/Hand – 6/Field – Reaper of Prophecy, Spellbook Star Hall (5)_**

 ** _Hazel – 4000 LP/Hand – 0/Field – Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon, Ember Viper, one face-down/PZ – Ember Lizard (SC:1), Ember Mammoth (SC:8)_**

"You'll pay for that," Yu vowed. "My turn! I activate the Quick-Play spell **Spellbook of Fate!** I banish **Spellbooks Organisation, Helio and Crescent** from my graveyard in order to banish **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon**!"

"Not going to happen! I reveal the trap card **Ember Backlash!** " Hazel countered. "This card can only be activated is one **Ember** monster would leave the field. Instead of being banished, I destroy **Flare-Eyes** in order to destroy two of your cards. Say goodbye to **Reaper of Prophecy** and **Spellbook Star Hall**!"

"Dammit…" she heard Yu whisper as the cards were destroyed.

"I won't go down that easily," Hazel said. "You'll have to do better than that, Yu! You too, Reiji!"

"I activate the effect of **High Priestess of Prophecy** in my hand!" Yu continued. "By revealing the **Spellbooks of Power, Wisdom,** and **the Master,** I can special summon her! Appear, **High Priestess!** (Lvl:7/ATK:2500/DEF:2100)."

As the pink-haired, white-robed priestess appeared on Yu's field, Hazel couldn't help but feel as if something was off about this duel. _Yu is a professional duelist. He knows his deck inside and out. So why would he not search using_ _ **Star Hall**_ _'s effect?_ Hazel's nose crinkled slightly. Reiji had to have been involved in this. There was no other reason for him not to.

"I activate the effect of the **High Priestess**!" Yu continued. "I banish **Spellbook of Judgment** in order to destroy a card on your side of the field! Be gone, Viper!"

 _I'm wide open,_ Hazel thought as the Pendulum monster was destroyed.

"I now activate **Spellbook of Power** , giving **High Priestess** an additional 1000 ATK!" Yu declared, a tinge of anger in his voice. "I then activate a second copy of **Spellbook of the Master,** revealing **Secrets** in order to copy **Power** and give my monster another 1000 ATK!"

"4500 ATK…" Hazel whispered.

"This duel is over, Spectre!" Yu proclaimed. " **High Priestess of Prophecy,** attack the Spectre directly! Wrath of Knowledge!"

Hazel gritted her teeth. "The second Pendulum effect of **Ember Mammoth** activates!" he declared. "If I would take a direct attack, I can special summon it from the Pendulum Zone in ATK position and have it take the attack instead! Save me, **Ember Mammoth!** (Lvl:6/ATK:2400/DEF:1800)."

The black woolly mammoth appeared at the last moment, taking the blast of white energy to the face, holding its ground for a moment before imploding under the pressure. The blast knocked Hazel backwards, but she landed on her feet as her Life Points were cut by more than half all the way to 1900. _No cards in hand or on my field… this is not looking good…_

"So, you survived," Yu said with slight admiration. "I use the power of **Spellbook of Secrets** in order to add another copy of **Spellbook of Fate** from my deck to my hand. I then set two cards face-down. Turn over."

 ** _Yu – 800 LP/Hand – 1/Field – High Priestess of Prophecy, two face-downs_**

 ** _Hazel – 1900 LP/Hand – 0/Field – nil_**

 _He didn't use the searching power of_ _ **Spellbook of Power**_ _during the End Phase,_ Hazel noted as the ATK of **High Priestess** returned to 2500. _There's no doubting it. Reiji must be ordering Yu to hold back slightly, but why? What's he trying to achieve? No matter. I just need to focus on winning this duel._ Looking down at her deck, she could only hope that it gave her something good. _The Tuner, maybe…_

"My turn!" Hazel declared, drawing a card and allowing a slight smile to grow over her face as she saw it. _That works too. Those top-decking classes paid off after all…_

"You can't win, Spectre," Yu declared.

"I disagree. I activate the spell card **Ember Rebirth!** " Hazel countered. "With this, since I control no cards, I can set two face-up **Ember** monsters from my Extra Deck to the Pendulum Zone, and in this turn, they cannot be destroyed nor banished!"

Yu grunted angrily. "You dare to…"

"Using the Scale 1 **Ember Lizard** and the Scale 8 **Ember Mammoth** , I set the Pendulum Scale! This means I can summon monsters whose Level is 2 to 7 simultaneously!" Hazel chanted. "Pendulum Summon! Appear, **Ember Soldier** (Lvl:4/ATK:1300/DEF:1300), **Ember Viper** (Lvl:3/ATK:1400/DEF:1000), **Ember Eagle** (Lvl:2/ATK:800/DEF:800), and finally, the dragon with eyes of the eternal blaze, **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon!** (Lvl:7/ATK:2500/DEF:2000)."

"I activate the Quick-Play spell **Spellbook of Fate**!" Yu cut in. "I banish the **Spellbooks Star Hall, the Master** and **Secrets** in order to banish **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon**!"

"You're still going to lose, Yu! I don't need **Flare-Eyes** to defeat you!" Hazel declared as her dragon faded into nothing. "With **Ember Soldier's** effect, I add **Ember Tiger** to my hand, which I then summon to the field! (Lvl:4/ATK:1500/DEF:1200)."

As the tiger was black fur and glowing red-orange lines covering its body appeared on the field next to the similarly-designed **Eagle, Soldier** and **Viper,** Hazel glanced up at the cameras. _Is this what you were after, Reiji?_ she wondered to herself. _Is this what you were after? You already know my deck pretty well, though…_

"Battle! **Ember Tiger,** attack **High Priestess of Prophecy!** Flaming Pounce!"

"But my monster has higher ATK?!"  
Hazel said nothing as the attack struck and bounced off harmlessly, the tiger's claws not even making a dent in the robes of the priestess. The woman glanced down, and after aiming her hand at the beast, blasted it away into nothingness, dropping Hazel's Life Points to 900.

" **Tiger's** monster effect activates," Hazel said. "If it battles, the monster it battled is destroyed after damage calculation."

As the priestess disappeared, Yu's eyes grew wide. "But that means…"

" **Ember Soldier,** end this," Hazel ordered. "Incendiary Bolt!"

Hazel's duel disk flicked off and her monsters disappeared once the damage was done. As the Life Point counter on Yu's duel disk reached 0, the barriers that had been erected around them disappeared, and as Hazel went over and picked up Yu by the scruff of his collar, a droplet of water landed on his suit.

"I know you can hear me, Reiji," Hazel said, more to the earpiece she could now see in Yu's ear than the man himself. "I know the tournament is a lure set for me. I know you're trying to draw me out. I have but one thing to say to you, Reiji Akaba. I'll see you at the Maiami Championship."


	3. Wildcard

Sorry for the delay on chapters for this fic and my others. Life got really busy all of a sudden but I will support all my works as best I can. Also, a quick note - Since Link monsters did not appear in Arc-V, the world in which this fic is set, they will not be making an appearance in this fic. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 3 – Wildcard**

"Hey babe? You awake?"

"Wuh? I'm up! I'm up!"

Hazel's eyes shot open in fright, her body automatically moving away from the sudden voice. However, the force of the movement caused the chair she was sitting on to lurch backwards, and the only reason she didn't end up falling over was because Daniel caught the chair in mid-fall and set it back onto all four legs.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Daniel chuckled, kissing the top of her forehead. "You were busy last night I see."

"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah, I was," Hazel managed to blurt out, her brain still struggled to shift into gear. "I was researching my opponent for today, what's his name…"

"Hokuto Shijima," Daniel said, reading off the computer screen in front of her. "But I thought the tournament didn't start for another week?"

"It doesn't," Hazel said between a yawn and a stretch. "But only 64 duelists will be taking part in each dimension. They have to narrow it down somehow."

"So you're not actually in yet?" Daniel asked.

"Not yet," Hazel admitted. "But, if I beat Hokuto, I will be."

It had been three weeks since Reiji had announced the fifth Maiami Championship. In the weeks since, more details had been released on the structure of the event. Since Heartland was now finally restored, Reiji and other organisers from the other dimensions had decided that increasing the size of the tournament would be a good way to commemorate the event. Now, 64 duelists from each dimension would take part in the event, leading to a final round-robin style match between the winners of each dimension. Duelists could only duel for the dimension that they were native to, although Reiji had already made it clear that there were outliers to this rule, such as Dennis Macfield. _Although his cause was helped by being a friend of Yuya's…_

"Constellars hey?" Daniel commented as he looked at the screen. "They're an... XYZ deck, right?"

"They are," Hazel replied, collecting her notes. "Hokuto tends to try and clear the field with their effects before launching an attack. It's an effective strategy."

Daniel nodded slightly. "Doesn't make much sense to me, but sure."

"You really should try to play sometime."

"I'll just stick to building the stadiums," Daniel answered as he headed for the kitchen. "The game itself goes way over my head."

As Daniel began to make breakfast for the two of them, Hazel headed for the shower, her mind deep in thought. She had gone back to LDS Tower twice in the weeks since Reiji's media conference, but the situation had not changed. Each time the place had appeared deserted, and both times she decided not to fall for what had to be a trap. Although she hadn't been ambushed afterward like the first night, she knew that she would reveal herself soon with the tournament just around the corner. _In fact, Hokuto was an LDS student, just like Yu was. Reiji might even be watching our duel today._ It was something that she couldn't ignore, but she also knew that there was nothing she could do about it now. _I told him I'd be in the tournament. It was only a matter of time._

The water began to run over her body, its warmth relaxing muscles that she didn't even realise were tensed, and her mind turned the duels she had already won to get to where she was. Daniel didn't know, but Hazel had already beaten out two opponents in order to secure the duel with Hokuto, who she presumed had done the same. _There was no point telling him that I was entering the tournament if I didn't even qualify…_ However, even as she thought that, Hazel knew that it was a lie. Ever since the Arc-V Incident, she had taken training lessons from all sorts of different teachers and schools in order to improve her dueling. _I can't let myself feel that helpless again,_ she thought to herself as memories of the beast began to surface in her mind. _Never again… never again will I be too weak to defend myself._

After drying and dressing herself, Hazel returned to the dining area to find a plate of eggs and bacon waiting for her, along with a glass of orange juice. She thanked Daniel with a kiss before sitting down and looking through the window over the city while she ate. She could just see down to the waterfront from where she sat, where undoubtedly Shuzo Hiragi would be energetically training the next batch of duelists from the You Show Duel School alongside Yusho. _They're strong people, to continue their normal lives after their children disappeared from the face of the dimensions…_

"Do you think you can win?" Daniel asked her.

Hazel shrugged her shoulders. "Hokuto has a reputation for ending duels quickly," Hazel replied. "If I'm to stand a chance, I have to be wary and be on my toes."

"Any idea what field you'll be fighting in?"

"Nope," Hazel answered. "I'll find out when we get there."

After finishing breakfast the two made their way to the garage below the apartment complex and got into their car, Daniel taking the wheel and allowing Hazel some time to think. The duel would take place at LDS Tower on Arena 3, the one on the opposite end to the Main Arena. She knew that LDS would record all the data from the duel, meaning that it was only a matter of time before Reiji got wind of her deck. She had contemplated using a different deck to throw him off, but in the end Hazel decided that it wasn't worth the risk. _Using a different deck could be the difference between winning and losing, and if I'm to find out what Reiji knows, that's something I cannot risk._

The drive was relatively uninterrupted, which surprised Hazel given that it was the first morning of the weekend. It meant that they arrived at the tower 15 minutes earlier than they had expected, and after saying goodbye to Daniel who headed for the small grandstand she made her way out onto the arena.

Since it was not the main arena, there would be no Action Field during the duel, and there would also be three other duels happening con-currently on each of the duel fields within the arena. As she walked out she could see that there were three other duelists already there, two of which appeared to be preparing to face one another in competition for a spot in the tournament. However, there seemed to be quite a few more people gathered around the 4th duel field, the one that she would be dueling on, and she could easily guess why. _Even for a qualifying duel, it seems Hokuto's reputation still draws a crowd._

"Are you to be my opponent?" a voice came from behind her.

Turning to face the voice, Hazel's eyes quickly took in the unmistakable hair. "Hokuto, I presume?" Hazel asked.

"I am," Hokuto answered, glancing slightly into the crowd to what must have been some fans of his. "Shall we get this started? The crowd appears eager for us to begin."

"Sure," Hazel said, strapping her duel disk to her arm.

 _No point in delaying,_ she thought to herself as they headed out onto their duel field, the small crowd cheering at the development. _Hokuto qualified to be a pro two years ago, but knew that he couldn't compete with the likes of Yusho and Reiji. Since he's entering this tournament, I can only assume he aims to enter the pro league after proving his superiority in the Championship. I have to be careful._

"I'll allow you the first move," Hokuto offered. "It'll allow me to crush you with my Constellars on my first turn."

"We'll see about that," Hazel muttered, readying her disk.

 ** _DUEL!_**

"Let's get this started," Hazel said. "From my hand, I summon **Ember Cavalry** (Lvl:4/ATK:1000/DEF:1800) and activate its effect, which allows me to special summon one Level 4 or lower **Ember** monster from my deck! Appear, **Ember Soldier**! (Lvl:4/ATK:1300/DEF:1300)."

As the soldier appeared alongside the similarly designed coal-black horse with glowing red-orange veins, Hazel began to consider her options. _My draw wasn't the best, and knowing Hokuto he'll probably blow past my monsters on his turn, but I do have a failsafe in hand… I just have to try and hold out and defeat him on my next turn. Even my Rank 4 would be useless if he goes for his normal plays…_

" **Ember Soldier** 's effect activates!" Hazel continued. "Since he was summoned, I can add an **Ember** monster from my deck to my hand, and I choose **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon**! With this, I end my turn."

"Two monsters in DEF is all a Pendulum deck can offer?" Hokuto laughed. "Let me show you how an XYZ user duels. My turn!"

 ** _Hazel – 4000 LP/Hand – 5/Field – Ember Soldier, Ember Cavalry_**

 ** _Hokuto – 4000 LP/Hand – 6/Field – nil_**

"Since you control a monster and I control none, I can special summon this card from my hand!" Hokuto announced. "Come, **Constellar Siat**! (Lvl:1/ATK:100/DEF:1600)."

As the child-like monster in brilliant white, gold-lined armour appeared on Hokuto's field alongside a jug of similar design that was around the same height as the child, a sense of dread began to form in Hazel's stomach as she saw the look on Hokuto's face. _Just what does he have…_

"Then, I normal summon **Constellar Pollux** (Lvl:4/ATK:1700/DEF:600) and I'll make use of his effect immediately!" Hokuto said as the bulky warrior wearing heavily plated armour of similar design to **Siat** appeared on the field. "Since he allows me another normal summon this turn, I now summon out a third monster, **Constellar Algiedi**! (Lvl:4/ATK:1600/DEF:1400)."

 _And now_ _ **Algiedi'**_ _s effect,_ Hazel thought to herself, her fist tightening.

"And now for **Algiedi** 's effect!" Hokuto said on queue. "When its Normal Summoned, I can special summon another Level 4 **Constellar** from my hand! Appear, **Constellar Kaus**! (Lvl:4/ATK:1800/DEF:700)."

As the centaur was similarly designed armour to the other Constellars and wielding a golden bow appeared on Hokuto's field, Hazel began to fully grasp the situation that was playing out in front of her. _If he has Twinkle in his hand…_

"I activate **Constellar Kaus** ' monster effect!" Hokuto said with a smile, recognising the look on his opponent's face. "Up to twice per turn, I can increase or decrease the level of one **Constellar** monster I control. Therefore, I make both **Pollux** and **Algiedi** Level 5! I then activate the effect of **Constellar Siat** , allowing me to make its Level equal to another **Constellar** monster I control or in my graveyard, so I give it a level of 5 as well!"

"Double **Pleiades** on your first turn?" Hazel wondered aloud involuntarily.

"You know my deck well, Hazel, I'll give you that," Hokuto said. "I now activate the spell card **Constellar Twinkle** from my hand, allowing me to increase the level of one **Constellar** monster I control by 1 or 2. Therefore, I make **Constellar Kaus** Level 5 too!"

"Here they come…"

"I overlay **Constellar Siat** with **Constellar Kaus** , and **Constellar Pollux** with **Constellar Algiedi**!" Hokuto proclaimed, the four monsters pooling into two separate golden swirls of light. "Light of the stars, descend and shake this very earth! XYZ Summon! Appear, two Rank 5's! **Constellar Pleiades**! (ATK:2500/DEF:1500)."

Hazel watched on as two male, white-gold armour clad knights descended from above. Wielding white swords with large golden handguards that wrapped around their hands, a deep blue cape billowed out from behind them, lined with golden points on each of its 7 edges. With sections of the armour tinted blue as well, the colour radiating and swirling like the stars themselves. Hazel couldn't help but see the beauty in their appearance, even if it did mean it put her in a tight spot. _It doesn't take a genius to know what comes next…_

"I activate the effect of **Pleiades** , and so by detaching one XYZ Material, I can return one card on the field to its owner's hand!" Hokuto said. "Therefore, I detach one material from each **Pleiades** in order to return both of your monsters to your hand!"

 _I have to use it then,_ Hazel thought to herself, glancing down at her hand. _I wonder if you're watching yet, Reiji…_

"Battle! **Constellar Pleiades** , attack Hazel directly!" Hokuto ordered. "Sacred Slash!"

Hazel weathered the first attack, although the force of the attack was nothing like what she had experienced against Tsukikage. As her Life Points dropped to 1500, she couldn't help but wonder whether that was a result of their different reasons for attacking her. One to win, one to capture. _Don't think you've got this won yet, Hokuto…_

"And now, my second **Pleiades** will end this!" he declared. "Attack her directly, **Pleiades**!"

"From my hand, I activate the effect of **Spark Ember Wyvern**!" Hazel declared, revealing the card. "If you attack me while my Life Points are less than half of yours, I can special summon this card from my hand in DEF mode. Come, **Spark Ember Wyvern**! (Lvl:1/ATK:0/DEF:2000)."

As she placed the card onto her disk, the monster appeared before her just as the second **Pleiades** halted its attack and pulled away. Unlike the other **Ember** monsters, this one seemed to be made out of pure fire, with sparks flying from its body at random.

"I'll just destroy it then," Hokuto grumbled, clearly upset that he hadn't been able to complete a One Turn Kill. " **Pleiades** , slay that wyvern!"

"She won't go down that easily, Hokuto!" Hazel countered. "During the turn this card was summoned, it cannot be destroyed by battle!"

The white sword bounced safely off the two winged front legs of the wyvern that had moved in front of it to protect itself from the attack. As Hokuto lamented the development, Hazel found herself smiling. _My turn, Hokuto._

"The last effect of **Spark Ember Wyvern** now activates!" Hazel proclaimed. "At the end of the Damage Step, if this card battled and was not destroyed, I can special summon up to 2 **Ember** monsters from my face-up Extra Deck, hand or graveyard in DEF mode! Appear, **Ember Soldier**! (Lvl:4/ATK:1300/DEF:1300) and **Ember Eagle!** (Lvl:2/ATK:800/DEF:800)."

"You _dare_ to –"

" **Ember Soldier** 's monster effect activates, allowing me to add one **Ember** monster from my deck to my hand, and I choose **Ember Mirror**!" Hazel declared, adding the card to her hand.

"Mirror?" Hokuto inquired quizzically. "No matter. I end my turn!"

 ** _Hazel – 1500 LP/Hand – 8/Field – Ember Soldier, Ember Eagle, Spark Ember Wyvern_**

 ** _Hokuto – 4000 LP/Hand – 1/Field – 2x Constellar Pleiades (each with one XYZ Material)_**

 _Let's end this._ "My turn!" Hazel said, drawing another card. _First things first, dealing with his Pleiades'. He'll no doubt wait until late to use them…_ "Using the Scale 3 **Ember Tiger** and the Scale 8 **Ember Viper,** I set the Pendulum Scale! With this, I can summon monsters from Levels 2 to 7 at the same time! Pendulum Summon! Appear, **Ember Mirror** (Lvl:4/ATK:0/DEF:0) and the dragon with eyes of the eternal blaze, **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon**! (Lvl:7/ATK:2500/DEF:2000)."

"I activate **Constellar Pleiades** effect!" Hokuto said much to Hazel's surprise. "By detaching an XYZ Material, I return **Flare-Eyes** to your hand!"

 _He knows it's my ace, and with its stats…_ "Fine then," Hazel muttered, her mind switching tact immediately. "I release **Spark Ember Wyvern** and **Ember Soldier**! Appear once more, **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon!** "

"And now the second **Pleiades** returns it to the hand once more!" Hokuto declared, smiling as the monster disappeared from the field for a second time. "What now, Hazel? What monster can get over my **Pleiades** now?"

It was true that neither **Eagle** nor the **Mirror** , a simple reflective surface whose black, circular frame beat with the same orange energy as the other Ember monsters, could take down Hokuto as they were now. _But that won't last very long…_

" **Ember Mirror** 's monster effect activates!" Hazel announced. "Once per turn, I can select one other **Ember** monster on my field, in my hand, or face-up in my Extra Deck. For this turn, **Mirror's** name is treated as that monster's, and it gains its Level, ATK, DEF and its effects!"

Hokuto gasped. "But then…"

"The monster I copy is **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon**!" Hazel finished, and Hokuto could only watch on as the mirror morphed into a silhouette of the dragon. "And now, **Ember Viper's** Pendulum effect activates! I target one of your Pleiades and inflict damage equal to half the difference between its ATK and DEF!"

"500 damage?" Hokuto scoffed as he brushed it off, his Life Points dropping to 3500. "That's nothing! I'll make you pay on my next turn!"

"There won't be one," Hazel stated. "Since **Ember Mirror** copied **Flare-Eyes'** effect, it now gains 500 ATK to make it 3000, and **Ember Eagle** also gains 500 to have 1300 ATK via its effect as well!"

Hokuto scowled worriedly. "You're not done," he said, more as a statement of fact than anything else.

" **Ember Eagle** 's effect activates, allowing me to tribute it and add its ATK to **Flare-Eyes** until the end of the turn, giving it 4300 ATK!" Hazel said, before glancing down at her hand. _And now for the final blow._ "I activate the spell card **Ember Destruction**! Thanks to its effect, this turn, my **Mirror** treated as **Flare-Eyes** can attack all monsters you control, once each!"

"And two lots of 1800 damage…" Hokuto realised.

"Is game over," Hazel finished. " **Flare-Eyes**! Attack both of his **Constellar Pleiades!** Reflected Blaze Reckoning!"

* * *

Reiji Akaba pushed his glasses back to the bridge of his nose as the blast of fire destroyed both of Hokuto's monsters at once, ending the duel and sending Hazel through to the Maiami Championship. In the dimly lit control room, the holographic screen in front of him flickered off, and the face of his advisor Nakajima appeared on the screen.

"That was five minutes ago, sir," the man said. "We've compared summoning energies with that of the Spectre. This is no co-incidence. It's her."

"Background?" Reiji asked immediately.

"Already researched," Nakajima replied at once. "After Zarc, there are records of her and her parents travelling to the other three dimensions and remaining for a time. In each, there are records of her being entered into schools specifically for teaching each of the summoning methods. She was tutored by Shinji Webber in City, Dennis Macfield in Heartland, and Edo Phoenix at the Academia. However, the Spectre hasn't used Fusion, Synchro or XYZ yet."

"What about recent activity?" Reiji asked. "Specifically, since Yuya and Yuzu left."

"She became an intern for a duel reporter named Christine Gora just after their departure, sir," Nakajima said, details about Hazel's activities popping up around his face in front of Reiji. "Since then, she's been involved with the press coverage of most of the dueling competitions."

"And now she's entered the Championship…" Reiji muttered to himself.

"Should I send some men to apprehend her, sir?" Nakajima asked.

"No," Reiji replied after a moment's deliberation. "She would've known that playing her **Ember** deck would reveal herself to us. Do not interfere with her, but keep track of her."

"Of course, sir," Nakajima said with a slight nod.

"And call Yusho Sakaki," Reiji added, standing from his desk. "There are some things we need to discuss."

* * *

 ** _Coming Soon - The Fifth Maiami Championship_**


	4. The Fifth Maiami Championship

Hey everyone. Sorry (again) for the long wait. I've been working a lot on my novel recently and between that, university, and life in general I haven't had much time to work on the fic. That said, I want to say that I will write this fic to completion, however long it takes. I can no longer guarantee regular uploads, but I will write this when I have the chance. So don't worry if you haven't seen a chapter in a while, one will be on the way! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

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 **Chapter 4 – The Fifth Maiami Championship**

"Welcome, one and all, to the Fifth Annual Maiami Championship!"

The words caused a cheer to roar through LDS' main arena, not a free seat to be seen as the event began to commence. Forming a triangle on the top of the stands around the arena were three screens, each projecting a vision of similar arenas in the other three dimensions. From her position waiting in the race that led onto the arena itself, Hazel took in the scene before her as she adjusted the position of the duel disk on her arm. _Nico surprised many by staying on as a commentator when Yuya and Yuzu disappeared, but his partnership with Melissa has been fruitful,_ she thought to herself amongst the crowd of anxious duelists. _They seem to complement each other quite well in their styles._

As Nico and Melissa's voice rang through the arenas across the dimensions, explaining the layout of the tournament, Hazel took in the competition around her. There were some faces that she recognised, but there were more that she didn't. _A lot of people here must be trying to enter the pro league,_ she reasoned. _There aren't many duelists here that I've done covers on with Christine._

"However, that is where the layout of this tournament will change!" came Nico's voice. "Due to both the Fusion Dimension and XYZ Dimension joining the tournament this year, the process has changed. As you can see on the screens, during the first round, there will be 8 duels per day per dimension between randomly selected opponents, meaning that by the end of Thursday this week, there will only be 32 duelists left standing in each dimension!"

"But the duels won't stop there!" Melissa said, picking up flawlessly from Nico. "After a break on Friday, Saturday picks up the second round, where the 32 remaining duelists will be reduced to 16 will another 8 duels on Saturday and Sunday, with it all leading to the finale on Friday of next week!"

"That's correct, Miss Claire," Nico continued. "With 4 duels on Monday and another 4 on Tuesday, only 8 will be left standing come Wednesday! There, those 8 will be reduced to 4 through another 4 duels, and then Thursday will determine our two finalists for the finale on Friday!"

Murmurs went through the duelists around Hazel as they took in the layout of the tournament, and it did surprise her slightly that the Battle Royale had been left out of proceedings for this year. _Well, ratings were down last year, so maybe some of the broadcasters had an influence in that,_ Hazel thought to herself. Still, it was good to know what she had to do in order to get what she wanted. _6 wins and I'm through, although…_

"However, that is just the finale for each dimension!" Melissa announced. "With Fusion and XYZ joining us in this year's championship, we will now have four winners instead of the normal two. Therefore, Saturday of next week, the winner of each dimension will participate in a Battle Royale right here in LDS Arena for the crown! Are you excited?"

A cheer bellowed from the gathered crowd at the announcement. _So not only is this the longest tournament so far, but also the largest,_ Hazel thought to herself. _Two straight weeks of Action Duels… I wonder if even the United World had anything quite like this._

"And now, I would like to introduce the brave duelists who have fought their way into the top 64 for our section of this year's Maiami Championship!" Nico said. "Please put your hands together for our competitors!"

Knowing that was the cue to exit, Hazel along with the other 63 duelists left the race and walked up into the stadium itself. The loudest roar yet erupted from the crowd as they did, and the duelists responded in kind, acknowledging the crowd in one way or another. Hazel took in the atmosphere with delight, revelling in it as she waved to the crowd. _Why not have a little fun while I can, right?_ she reasoned with herself. However, even as she was doing this, she has one eye on the viewer's box atop the stands where she knew Reiji Akaba would be looking on, if he was there. Given that the place seemed empty, Hazel's mind turned to figuring out where he could be. _No doubt making sure all the dimensions' sectors proceed smoothly. This format for the Championship may have been around ever since after the Arc-V Incident, but XYZ and Fusion are only doing it for the first time. It makes sense._

"And now, just as a reminder, Junior and Junior Youth matches will be taking part on the other arenas over the course of this tournament, so be sure to check those out during the breaks between duels!" Melissa announced. "Now, who's ready to see the first duel of the tournament?"

Another roar of excitement from the crowd. "The contestants will be chosen at random from the 64 standing before you," Nico explained as the screens flicked over to show a picture of each contestant flew by as if on a wheel. "This means you won't know who you're dueling until just before it begins!"

 _Unless you're one of the final few,_ Hazel thought to herself. "Alright, let's see who our first contestants are for the Pendulum Dimension!" Melissa declared, and the wheels began to slow until they eventually rested upon two faces. "The first duel has been decided! Wildcard entrant Hazel Bennet will be facing off against You Show Duel School's shooting star, Tatsuya Yamashiro!"

 _Tatsuya?_ While Hazel was initially surprised to hear his name, after giving it a moment's thought she realised that such a thing should've been expected of the boy. _He may still only be 14, but he's a genius duelist. That much was obvious when I spoke with everyone at the school after Yuya and Yuzu's disappearance._ As the other duelists left the arena, she eventually found herself alone with Tatsuya opposite her.

"Miss Bennet," Tatsuya acknowledged. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Same to you, Tatsuya," she said back. "Your parents push you into this?"

"Yusho, actually," the blue-haired boy replied. "He said I was ready."

"Well, I wish you good luck," Hazel said before starting up her duel disk.

 _It's no co-incidence I'm taking part in the first duel,_ Hazel thought to herself as the final preparations were made for the start of the duel. _Reiji wants to see how I handle the pressure of being the opening act, how I perform, how I duel. I've no doubt that he knew I'd spoken to You Show Duel School either, so he's probably trying to turn that against me. If I win, Tatsuya doesn't advance._ She couldn't help but be slightly impressed by the mind games that Reiji was trying to play with her, but she knew that she couldn't allow that to cloud her judgement. _There's only one thing that'll help me get the answers I want, and that's winning these duels. I'm sorry, Tatsuya._

"And now, to play the Action Field!" Nico said, the Action Field Card spinning above the two duelists before coming to rest on a chosen field. "Action Field: Foolish Forest – Baal Chechen, activate!"

Hazel jolted as she felt herself rise into the air on top of a piece of rock, and she quickly realised that the rock she was standing on was floating in the air, connected to others via vines and other foliage. _It's a floating forest,_ she thought to herself in wonderment as the Action Field completed its appearance. _We're going to have to jump around to find actions cards, or risk running along the vines between rocks to do so,_ she thought, peering down at the impossibly long drop below them. _I'll never be able to figure out how they render the field into the ground…_

"Now everyone, join me in beginning the first duel of this year's championship!" Nico declared.

"Here we go," Hazel whispered to herself.

"Duelists locked in battle! Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Nico and the crowd chanted, their voices overflowing with excitement as their cry filled the stadium. "They storm through this field! Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling! ACTION…"

 ** _DUEL!_**

As the crowd began to cheer again as the Action Cards floated onto the field, Tatsuya's face appeared above Hazel's Duel Disk. "Do you want the first turn, Miss?" the teen asked.

"No, you go ahead," she replied, scanning her surroundings.

"As you say," came the boy's reply.

"And it seems Tatsuya will be taking the first turn in this duel!" Melissa declared excitedly. "From the You Show Duel School, this is Tatsuya's first appearance in the Maiami Championship! What kind of duel will he show us today?"

 _Action Cards,_ Hazel thought to herself, already jumping off the rock she was standing on onto a vine, which thankfully held her weight. _In these duels, you just never know when an Action Card might come in handy. I need to find one…_

"From my hand, I summon **Deskbot 004! (Lvl:4/ATK:500/DEF:500)** ," Tatsuya said from somewhere on the field. It was impossible to tell given the thickness of the intertwining vines that spread throughout the field. "I then set one card face down. Turn over!"

 _There,_ Hazel noted, leaping from the vine she was running along to a rock beside it, picking up the Action Card that lay upon it and adding it to her hand, noting that the card was themed to the field itself. _They've kept that theme, I see,_ she thought, before fulling stopping to take in the two cards that Tatsuya had played. _So that's why he asked if I wanted the first turn. It seems his hand is set to react to my plays rather than start them himself… I'll have to be wary of that._

 ** _Tatsuya – 4000 LP/Hand – 3/Field – Deskbot 004, one face-down_**

 ** _Hazel – 4000 LP/Hand – 5(1 Action Card)/Field – nil_**

"My turn!" Hazel called, drawing a card. **_Deskbot 004's_** _effect would normally be a problem. Fortunately…_ "Now I, using the Scale 1 **Ember Lizard** and the Scale 8 **Ember Soldier** , I set the Pendulum Scale!" she said, catching a glimpse of Tatsuya to her upper right as she continued to move around the field. _There you are._ "Pendulum Summon! Appear, **Ember Monkey (Lvl:2/ATK:0/DEF:0)** and the dragon with eyes of the eternal blaze, **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon! (Lvl:7/ATK:2500)**."

"A monkey in DEF and your ace," Tatsuya commented to Hazel from above her duel disk. "Is that all, Miss Bennet?"

"Not a chance," she replied. " **Ember Monkey's** monster effect activates!" Hazel declared, using a vine to swing to a large rock platform, her dragon and monkey of similar design following her there. "If Normal or Special Summoned, I can summon as many copies of itself from my deck! Appear, two more copies of **Ember Monkey (Lvl:2/DEF:0)**."

"Did you forget about my monster's effect?" Tatsuya asked, coming to a rest on a rock platform above Hazel's, the tiny robotic monster next to him.

Hazel shook her head. "I activate **Action Magic – Entwining Vines**!" she said, playing the card. "This negates **004's** effect and halves its ATK and DEF!"

Vines sprouted from the ground at Tatsuya's feet, wrapping themselves around the tiny robot and making it even smaller as they did so. Looking at Tatsuya himself, the boy seemed relatively unfazed, and as Hazel looked closely, she recognised the Action Card resting in his hand. _Must've found it when he was running around,_ she surmised. _Between that and his face-down, I have to be careful._

"What a move by Hazel Bennet!" Nico commented from the sidelines as the crowd watched like hawks. " **Deskbot 004** would normally prevent her from attacking, but now he's vulnerable. What will You Show's rising star do?"

"It's time to battle, Tatsuya!" Hazel declared, raising a hand to point at the giant charcoal dragon that sat behind her. " **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon,** attack **Deskbot 004**! Blaze Reckoning!"

"I chain **Gravity Bind**!" Tatsuya countered, revealing the trap. "All Level 4 and higher monsters cannot declare an attack!"

 _And his Deskbots can get around that…_ "Clever move, Tatsuya!" Hazel said in acknowledgment. "I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

 ** _Tatsuya – 4000 LP/Hand – 3(1)/Field – Deskbot 004, Gravity Bind_**

 ** _Hazel – 4000 LP/Hand – 1/Field – Flare-Eyes, Ember Monkey x3, one face-down/PZ – Lizard, Soldier (1/8)_**

 _I can't afford to stay still,_ Hazel thought as her turn finished, rushing off to the right and sliding down a vine into a tree. _If I can find another Action Card, I might be able to use that to my advantage. For now, though, I can only wait and see how Tatsuya plays this one out._

"My turn!" Tatsuya said as he drew a card, his face appearing once again above Hazel's duel disk as they moved apart. "And now, I hope everyone is watching! This turn will be the final turn!"

"After blocking an attack from Hazel's ace monster, it seems Tatsuya is declaring his victory now!" came Melissa's voice, echoing around the stadium. "Show us what You Show Duel School can do, Tatsuya!"

"First off, I summon **Deskbot 002 (Lvl:2/ATK:500/DEF:500)** from my hand," Tatsuya began as he ran around the Action Field, a small, green and yellow, pen-wielding robot appearing beside him. "This monster boosts all other Machine-type monsters on the field by 500 ATK and DEF, and so **Deskbot 004** now has 750 ATK and DEF. But that's not all it can do! When special summoned, it can also search out any other **Deskbot** card from my deck!"

Hazel knew what was coming immediately. "Don't tell me…"

"I activate the spell card **Machine Duplication**!" Tatsuya declared, activating the spell. "Since **Deskbot 002** has 500 or less ATK, I special summon two more to my field! Appear, **Deskbot 002**!"

As Hazel found another Action Card, two more of the green and yellow robots appeared beside Tatsuya. _Not good,_ she thought. _Between the searches and the boosts, he's put himself into a formidable position. This was what he was aiming for all along._ Hazel found herself smiling a little. He was most certainly Yusho's student.

"Now, along with the **Deskbot 005** and **Deskbot 006** that I've added to my hand, all 3 **Deskbot 002's** have 1500 ATK, and **004** now has 1750 ATK!" Tatsuya announced. "Finally, using the Scale 10 **Deskbot 005** _,_ and the Scale 1 **Deskbot 006** , I set the Pendulum Scale! With this, I can summon **Deskbot** monsters of Levels 2 through 9! Pendulum Summon! Appear, **Deskbot 003! (Lvl:3/ATK:500 - 2000/DEF:500 - 2000)."**

 _I knew it,_ Hazel thought as she came to stop as the bottom of the tree, Tatsuya now above her on a different rocky outlet. Beside him now, joining his four compatriots, was another yellow and black robot of similar design to the others, only wielding a pencil on a holster on one arm, with the other arm wielding a glowing yellow ruler like a blade. _He could've played that differently and ended up with_ _ **009**_ _instead, but he chose to play around his_ _ **Gravity Bind**_ _to keep me under its effect. Well played, Tatsuya. Well played._

"Deskbot's greatest strength is in their unity!" Tatsuya said. "They help each other grow stronger through their bonds, and this bond will help me win this duel! **Deskbot 003** 's effect activates! This effect boosts the ATK and DEF of one monster I control by 500 multiplied by the number of **Deskbot** cards I control. Since I have 7, 5 monsters and the two Pendulum Zones, that's a 3500 boost, which I give to himself, giving him a grand total of 5500 ATK!"

The crowd went crazy as the small robot grew in size until it stood high over the field, having gone from tiny to gigantic as a result of the boosting capabilities of the other monsters. Tatsuya looked assured of his victory, but as she stood there watching the spectacle, Hazel remained unworried. _An impressive display, to be sure, but I know your deck, Tatsuya,_ she thought to herself. _This is what your monsters do, and I made sure I was prepared._

"What an impressive display from the young duelist!" Melissa's voice cried. "And yet his opponent remains unfazed! Is there more left yet to this duel?"

"Let's find out," Tatsuya said with a smile. "Battle! **Deskbot 003,** attack **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon!** Metal Engravement!"

"I activate the trap card, **Rememberance**!" Hazel countered, revealing the trap. "I tribute **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon**!"

"What's this? She's tributing her ace monster?" Nico's voice said in confusion.

"By doing so, I destroy all monsters on your field whose attack is higher than the tributed monster," Hazel announced. "So, say goodbye to your **Deskbot 003**!"

"You knew this was coming, didn't you?" Tatsuya wondered aloud.

Hazel nodded. "Large attack is what your deck does best, Tatsuya," she said. " **Flare-Eyes**! Destroy **Deskbot 003**!"

Everyone in attendance watched on as Hazel's dragon burst into flame, roaring as it ascended and dove straight into **Deskbot 003's** chest like a fiery lance, taking both itself and its opponent out in an explosion of fire and metal. _Don't worry, my friend, you'll be back to fight soon enough,_ Hazel thought to herself.

"You've evaded losing this round, but that doesn't mean you're free from damage just yet, Miss Bennet!" Tatsuya said, brushing aside the loss of **Deskbot 003** and moving on immediately. "I attack your 3 **Ember Monkeys** with all of my **Deskbot 002's**!"

"When it leaves the field, **Ember Monkey** deals 200 points of damage to you," Hazel said as they were destroyed simultaneously. "Take 600 damage, Tatsuya!"

Balls of flame shot forth from the monkeys before their forms disappeared, but Tatsuya brushed it off. "Don't think you're safe just yet," he said. "Since **Deskbot 004** can't attack, I'll switch him to DEF (1750), but that's not all! I overlay two of my **Deskbot 002's**!"

"What did you say?" Hazel said in shock.

"It seems the teen from You Show has a surprise in store!" Nico declared. "Show us your strength, Tatsuya!"

"XYZ Summon!" Tatsuya called. "Appear, Rank 2! **Sky Cavalry Centuarea!** (ATK:2000/DEF:0)."

The swirling pool of golden light exploded forth to reveal a purple and white centaur. With golden hair on its head and tail and brilliant white and purple wings protruding from its back, the beast wielding a spear of some kind along with a purple and black spherical shield that had a red gem in the centre.

"Since when could you XYZ?" Hazel asked curiously.

"I've been keeping it a secret for a while," Tatsuya admitted. "I wanted to keep it a surprise for as long as I could in the tournament, but I figured now was a good time to use it. I set one card face-down, Miss Bennet! Your move!"

 ** _Tatsuya – 3400 LP – Hand (1)/Field – Sky Cavalry Centaurea (2 mat), Deskbot 002, Deskbot 004, Gravity Bind, one face-down/PZ – Deskbot 005, Deskbot 006 (1/10)_**

 ** _Hazel – 4000 LP – Hand 1(1)/Field – nil/PZ – Ember Lizard, Ember Soldier (1/8)_**

"I draw!" Hazel declared as she did so. Glancing at her card, she immediately began to see a path to victory. _I'm sorry, Tatsuya._ "First of all, from my hand, I activate the effect of **Ember Spirit**! Since I control no monsters and you do, I can special summon it from my hand! Come, the Tuner monster, **Ember Spirit! (Lvl:1/ATK:0/DEF:0)."**

"Wait, a tuner?" Tatsuya said as the fiery yet ethereal appeared beside Hazel. "But that can only mean…"

"Using the already set Scale 1 **Ember Lizard** and Scale 8 **Ember Soldier** , I Pendulum Summon!" Hazel called. "Appear, dragon with eyes of the eternal blaze, **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon! (Lvl:7/ATK:2500).** "

"I don't believe it!" Melissa commented. "First Tatsuya surprised us with Pendulum XYZ, and now we're about to see Hazel pull off a Pendulum Synchro? What a way to start this year's Maiami Championship!"

"I now tune my Level 7 **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon** to my Level 1 **Ember Spirit**!" Hazel chanted. "Soul of the flame, cleanse the dragon of the blaze with your power! Shine forth with your radiant, fiery splendour! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 8! **Pure-Eyes Ember Dragon! (ATK:3000/DEF:2500)**."

From the flash of light descended a white-dragon akin to the shape of **Flare-Eyes**. However, gone was the charcoal body, and in its place stood radiant white scales, split only by the black lines that traced the body like veins, going through the back, arms, legs and wings and pulsating with life. _A reminder of what she once was,_ Hazel thought to herself as she looked deep into the glowing white eyes of her dragon. The crowd, too, seemed to be in awe of the beast, as silence fell before the crowd erupted once more into cheers at the arrival of the new beast.

" **Pure-Eyes Ember Dragon's** effect activates!" Hazel declared as it landed beside her. "When summoned, in exchange for losing the ability to attack directly this turn, she can destroy all spell and traps you control, including cards in your Pendulum Zones! Go, Righteous Tempest!"

 **Pure-Eyes** roared as Hazel finished her sentence and began flapping her wings, causing a heavy wind to immediately encompass the field. Tatsuya could do nothing as **Gravity Bind** , his face-down, and the two **Deskbots** in his Pendulum Zones were wiped from the field.

"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that," Tatsuya said. "But **Pure-Eyes** can't win you this duel."

"Maybe not alone, but I've yet to finish," Hazel retorted. "I activate the effect of **Rememberance** in my graveyard! By banishing it, I can special summon one **Ember** monster from my face-up Extra Deck or graveyard! Return, **Flare-Eyes Ember Dragon! (Lvl:7/ATK:2500).** "

"Two dragons…" Tatsuya whispered as the black dragon re-emerged.

" **Pure-Eyes** second effect then activates!" Hazel said. "Once per turn, I can special summon one Level 4 or lower **Ember** monster from my deck! Appear, **Ember Tiger! (Lvl:4/ATK:1500/DEF:1200)**."

"That's still not enough," Tatsuya noted. "No matter what monsters you attack with, you don't have enough damage on board to win!"

"Not yet," Hazel said. "I activate the spell card **Suprembercy**! I tribute all monsters besides **Pure-Eyes** to give their ATK to her for the rest of the turn! **Flare-Eyes, Ember Tiger** , loan **Pure-Eyes** your strength!"

"Unbelievable! Hazel Bennet has managed to raise her Synchro monster's ATK to 7000!" Nico cried as the dragon grew larger, dwarfing the players as it now stood large enough to Hazel only came up to the dragon's knee. "Is there any way Tatsuya can survive with no traps left to defend himself with?!"

"Battle! **Pure-Eyes Ember Dragon** , attack **Sky Cavalry Centuarea**!" Hazel declared. "Luminous Cascade!"

As **Pure-Eyes** readied a breath attack, Tatsuya took action. "I activate **Action Magic – Earthen Might**!" he said. "This raises **Sky Cavalry's** ATK by the number of monsters on the field x500, meaning it now has 4000 ATK! Not only does that mean I'll survive, but **Pure-Eyes** will be removed from the field by **Sky Cavalry's** after battle effect!"

Hazel sighed. "I'm sorry, Tatsuya, but this is really the end."

"What do you mean?" Tatsuya asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"I chain the **Action Magic – Judgement Thorn**!" she responded. "This negates and destroys your **Earthen Might**!"

"No!"

Thorns erupted from the ground and shattered the rock armour that had surrounded **Sky Cavalry Centaurea** , reducing its ATK from 4000 back to 2000. With 5000 damage about to strike, Tatsuya could only brace himself as a beam of white flame erupted from the mouth of Hazel's dragon, engulfing the entirety of Tatsuya's field as it did so, his Life Points dropping to 0 by the time the attack had stopped. Once the flame was gone, Tatsuya was all that remained, the smoke billowing from his clothes the only sign that he had been struck.

"What an unbelievable finish to the very first duel of the tournament!" Melissa cried as **Pure-Eyes** , along with the field itself, disappeared altogether, the crowd itself roaring louder that Hazel had heard it do. "Despite mounting a huge offensive, wildcard Hazel Bennet countered like a pro and won the duel in a single strike without taking a single point of damage!"

"Having defeated Hokuto Shijima to qualify for the tournament, she could prove to be a dark horse in the days to come!" Nico declared. "And while Tatsuya's journey ends here, he represented You Show Duel School magnificently. Everyone, give it up from Tatsuya Yamashiro and Hazel Bennet!"

As the crowd roared once again, Hazel headed over to Tatsuya, who was brushing himself off. "You alright?" she asked caringly. "I wasn't sure how bad that attack would be."

"I'm fine Miss Bennet, honestly," Tatsuya answered with a smile. "I knew I was getting in over my head."

"Not the case," she replied. "One card was the difference between who won that duel. A little more practise and, come next year, I reckon you'll go far in that tournament."

"You really think so?" Tatsuya asked.

Hazel put a hand on his shoulder. "You're still very young, Tatsuya. You've got a lot of growing left to do yet."

"Yuya defeated Reiji when he was my age," Tatsuya commented. "I guess people felt like I was on his level."

"Yes, well, Yuya is most definitely one of a kind," Hazel said, earning a knowing chuckle from Tatsuya. "Look, don't compare yourself to him, alright? Yuya and Yuzu were unique. There's no one like them, and there never will be again. You're strong as it is, I'd hate to face you in a year's time."

"Thank you, Miss Bennet," Tatsuya said. "Now I'd better leave you before the reporters swamp us. I'm sure they all want to talk to you after all."

As if on cue, reporters began to make their way from the sidelines onto the arena towards where the duo stood. Preparing herself to be answering questions instead of giving them, Hazel's mind found itself drifting back to Reiji Akaba, whom she was certain had paid close attention to the duel. _I hope you were paying attention,_ she thought to herself. _You haven't seen anything yet._

* * *

 ** _Coming Soon - Red Dragon Rising_**


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